PEI Symphony Orchestra Announces Artistic Director Appointment

Photo credit: Story Thorburn Photography

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE — October 19, 2026 – Effective immediately PEI Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director, Jaelem Bhate, will assume the role of Artistic Director for the symphony. Since his appointment as Music Director in 2024, Bhate has led the organization through an impressive period of renewal and organizational growth. Bhate has curated performances that bridge eras and geographies, regularly featuring Canadian composers, Indigenous artists, and creators from diverse cultural backgrounds. Increasingly, PEISO is taking orchestral music beyond the concert hall through innovative partnerships and community-based programming reflecting the community it serves. 

PEISO Board President Jamie Trainor said “Jaelem Bhate has led our symphony orchestra as it has grown into one of the largest symphony orchestras in the Maritimes. We believe that as Artistic Director he will continue that evolution, and we are excited about his vision for the future.”

“I am thrilled to take on this new role for the PEISO,” says Bhate. “As the orchestra's Music Director I have shaped the musical performance, conducting the concerts, and leading rehearsals. Now, as Artistic Director, I will additionally address the PEISO’s big-picture creative identity. I have just introduced our four-year “Discover” series, setting long-term programming and strategic vision for the orchestra. I am really looking forward to leading the orchestra into the next decade!” 

Bhate is a conductor and composer whose diversity defines his career. He is the artistic and executive director of Vancouver’s Symphony 21, an organization which he founded in 2019. An alumnus of CBC’s ‘30 under 30’ classical musicians, his work has also been recognized with the prestigious 2025 Jean Marie Beaudet Award from the Canada Council for the Arts. 

As a conductor, Jaelem has guested with orchestras across Canada, including the symphonies of Vancouver, Winnipeg, Guelph and Kamloops, Ensemble Obiora, and NAO Canada, and has served as cover conductor with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on several occasions. He previously served as the Director (interim) of Orchestras and Bands for the UBC School of Music, and as the Music Director of the Vancouver Brass Collective, releasing Acoustic Alloy in 2025. A passionate advocate for widening the engagement and scope of orchestras and instrumental ensembles in communities, he currently serves as a board director with Orchestras Canada.  

When not on the podium, Jaelem composes for a wide variety of ensembles across multiple genres. His music has been performed across Canada, including by the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra, the Sister Jazz Orchestra, the MK Yamaha Big Band, the YYC Lab1 Band, the Vancouver and Victoria Symphonies, the Tutta Musica Orchestra and countless student ensembles for which he has gained a reputation for education through artistry as a clinician. In the jazz world, he has released three albums with the Jaelem Bhate Jazz Orchestra; on the edge, Hymns and Carmen, a reimagining of Bizet’s opera. on the edge won the Julian Award for emerging Canadian jazz excellence and spent two weeks at the top of the EarShot national jazz charts. In 2026, he launched a new jazz orchestra, House of Common Time, which is quickly garnering a reputation for genre-bending, intense innovation.  

PEI Symphony Orchestra’s next concert with a dramatic “Revolution” theme will be performed November 15, 2026 at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. 

BACKGROUND
The Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra (PEISO) is one of PEI’s most respected performing arts organizations, providing Islanders with vibrant live orchestral experiences including classical, cross-genres, family and chamber-music concerts. Currently entering its 59th season, the PEISO is a proud member of the community enriching the region through dynamic performances, comprehensive educational activities and impactful community relationships.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Laura Ono
PEI Symphony Orchestra 
(902) 892-4333
admin@peisymphony.com
www.peisymphony.com